With a star-studded rotation, who makes opening day start for the Nationals?

There are 162 games in a baseball season, so determining a team's opening day starter seems to be a low-level story. But it is never that way. Opening day starters are a topic of conversation the minute teams arrive in spring training. Given so much is set with the Nationals going into the spring, the opening day starter is virtually the only question to be answered. Some managers announce their opening day starter at the beginning of spring training. Others hold back, even though reporters can figure out the pitcher just by checking out the starters' schedule in the final two weeks of camp. The first-game pitcher for the Nationals is likely among Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and now Max Scherzer. Strasburg has started three consecutive opening days for the Nationals, including last season in New York, even though Zimmermann was a 2013 All-Star. Nationals manager Matt Williams said he picked Strasburg because "he earned it.'' Williams said he had a conversation with Zimmermann, who doesn't worry about those things. Strasburg started the first game in 2012 even though he had only 17 starts combined the previous two seasons. Usually, getting the first start is a reward to a pitcher that has helped define the organization and had an excellent season prior. Strategy and matchups are secondary. Another factor is the home opener start. Sometimes managers put together their rotation so that there are two honors, one on opening day and the other at the home opener. Sometimes, pitchers get the choice of which one they'd prefer. Seldom the pitcher selected is for strategic purposes, although last season, Williams slipped Gio Gonzalez into the No. 2 slot and made Zimmermann No. 3 because he wanted a lefty to break up the two right-handers. Livan Hernandez pitched the first two opening days for the Nationals in 2005-06 after the move from Montreal. Then it was John Patterson, Odalis Perez and lefty John Lannan in 2009-10. Hernandez started the Nationals' first game in Philadelphia on April 4, 2005 and then started the first home opener 10 days later versus Arizona at RFK Stadium, a big celebration considering baseball had not been played in the nation's capital in 33 years. Hernandez had the honor in 2011. At the time, manager Jim Riggleman said that he chose Hernandez because he was the team's best pitcher in 2010 and that he was experienced enough to not be overwhelmed by distractions that go with it. After that, it's been all Strasburg. Strasburg started in 2013, the year after Gonzalez won 21 games and finished third in the National League Cy Young voting. The Nationals open at home April 6 against the New York Mets. Will Strasburg's streak continue? Does Zimmermann deserve a chance? Or do the Nationals go with Scherzer, who watched the Tigers' Justin Verlander start opening day for five consecutive seasons when both were with Detroit? Williams says he'll make the call in spring training. It's a big story. Then again, it's easily forgotten.